DRAYCOTE
Tel: 01788 812018 email: lodge@flyfishdraycote.co.uk
Web Site www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk Online Shop www.flyfishstore.co.uk
Our COVID-19 Guidelines
Full details of our updated guidelines can be found on our website http://www.flyfishdraycote.co.uk/latest-report/
Fishery Report: Week ending Sunday 23rd August
The government has announced that mandatory Face Coverings are to be worn within all shops in England from Friday 24th July. These can be a Buff type, scarf or mask etc.
This mandatory rule will cover our shops / lodges.
Lots of thunder and the chance of rain around Monday with quite a close muggy day, with the pressure changing all the time it seemed to knock the fish off the feed with most anglers experiencing a challenging day. Season ticket holder Kevin Rees landed 8 fish all on crippled midge. Kevin said that he only caught when the conditions went flat calm, and the boat had to be positioned onto the moving fish. Iain Barr & Andy Axon fished together getting a practice in before the Anglers World Final on Sunday taking 13 fish between them, but, remained tight lipped on areas and methods.
Tuesday proved to be a very good day out on the water as the rod average rose to 3.1. Many of the returns are showing that the fish are still holding in the top few feet of the water with only a few fish coming to deep sinking lines. Season permit holder Brian Allwood caught 4 fish from the bank on Diawl Bachs and lost another 3. Mike Garner netted one form the bank with many follows on Crunchers up in Rainbow Corner. Mr Moore caught 2 fish from the bank on Big Reds and lost another 4. Dave Adkins had 9 fish on sinking lines and snakes on the aerators.
A very wet day on Wednesday put paid to quite a few peoples plans. Although there were 21 rods on the water returns were light, which is to be expected before a big competition. Mr Paul Cramp had 8 fish to the boat using Dabblers. Draycote regular Ed Douglas took 12 fish on dries and Nymphs. Alex Campbell had 3 fish to the boat in a morning session. Alan used dries such as the Copper Hopper, Crippled Midge and foam Daddies with drifts around D buoy down in Toft Shallows.
A busy day Thursday with 37 boats taking to the water with it looking one of the best days of the week with regards to the weather. However, the weather altered late Wednesday giving sunny conditions teamed with high winds not he ideal trout fishing conditions. With a lot of anglers practicing ahead of the John Horsey Final on Sunday methods and areas were a closely guarded secret. However, from the lodge we could see a number of fish getting caught down along the Farborough Dam wall. Season Ticket holder Gordon Bramwell fished a Di 3 with blobs and Cormorants. Also, fishing this method was Fishery Ranger Lee Henfrey who landed 5 fish on a Sparkler Booby and also cormorants but reported a lot of fish following right to the boat. It would seem that fish following but not taking was a common theme throughout the day with many anglers commenting fish coming short. Anchored up in Rainbow Corner Ian Reeve landed 9 fish using a blue flash Damsel and also a barred olive Snake.
With the high winds Friday the boats had to be cancelled but thankful it dropped enough Saturday for the anglers to get out on the water for the official practice day before the match. Again not ideal conditions with wind speeds in the 20s and a mix of sun and cloud. Early reports from the anglers looked like pulling on either a Di 3 or Di 5 was producing fish with Andy Cooper taking 7 fish on Di 5 and a sparkler booby by 12pm. Other anglers also reported good catches to similar tactics of pulling sparkler boobies with various blobs and mini lures up the cast. Looking at the spread of the boats they seemed to be catching fish from the Farborough Dam drifting from T and J Buoy, in Rainbow Corner and then around P Buoy and middle shoal. Although specifics on flies and areas was being a closely guarded secret with a holiday up for grabs the next day.
The match day dawned with dramatically reduced winds which had swung more to a straight West, the day started bright with some cloud and rain forecast later in the day. The match started in a slightly different manner to normal as the anglers where only allowed access on the pontoon 10 boats at a time and then headed out to a staging area to await the start of the match. At the start of the match at 10am a good proportion of the boats headed for Farborough Dam, the Spit and Toft with the rest either heading for Rainbow Corner or up towards the Tower and Biggin Bay. As the day progressed it was clear it was going to be a close match, when the staff headed took to the water carry out the fly checks. Steve Cullen was leading the way fishing around the Valve Tower and the area around the Aerators, which had been turned off for the match. Steve was using a DI 7 sinking with a mix of blobs and boobies, fished at around 10ft. Iain Barr was also doing well fishing around P Buoy and Middle Shoal using a slow glass with a mix of FABS and foam daddies. By the time, the weight in had come around there was some good catches with a number of 8s, 9s and some anglers into double figures. However it was last years Champion Gary Morris who took the trophy home for the second year in a row, an absolutely fantastic achievement. Gary’s Winning Method was to fish an Airflo 12ft Fast Tip (https://www.flyfishstore.co.uk/shop/airflo-superflo-mini-tips/) with a 20ft leader 5ft between the flies with a black eyed sparkler booby on the point and cormorants on the droppers. With a figure of eight retrieve or a roly-poly finding the fish 150 yards off the Cornfield drifting down to the Nature Reserve buoys in Toft. In second place Iain Barr landed 13 fish on his method of a slow sinking intermediate and foam daddies taking his fish both from around P Buoy and also into Toft. In Third place with 11 fish was Neil Barrett who fished a RIO Midge Tip long with a sparkler booby on the point taking most of his fish pulled in Biggin Bay, with Neil landing 6 fish in the last half an hour. Steve Cullen finished in 4th place also with 11 fish just have a smaller weight on the scales than Neil.
New Demo Tackle for you to take out and try: SAGE SONIC Fly Rods, RIO Slick Cast. We have the excellent new SAGE SONIC 10ft #7 demo rod for you to try, team it with our RIO Slick Cast #7 Gold or Grand fly lines. Call the lodge 01788 812018 to book your demo.
Bank anglers please note: The perimeter track is extremely busy with families, cyclists & joggers. Exercise caution while driving around the reservoir & observe speed limits
Our Online Shop www.flyfishstore.co.uk
Visit our online shop. We currently have a Fishery Management (UK) ltd Daddy Dry Fly Selection.
Tuition & Guided Sessions From July 1st we are pleased to announce that we have resumed our 1:1 casting tuition & 1:1 guided boat sessions. For the latest information on tuition under Covid-19 guidelines please visit www.flyfishtuition.co.uk. For bookings please call Tom on 01788 812018.
Opening Hours & Boat Session
Lodge & Bank Open – 7.30am – 20:15pm
Full Day Boat – 8.30am – 20:15pm
Morning Boat – 8.30am – 14.30pm
Afternoon Boat – 14.30pm – 20:15
Last 4 Hr – 16:15pm – 20:15pm
All Anglers Off Site – 20:30pm
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The local Angling Club is Draycote Fly Fishers www.draycote-fly-fishers-assoc.co.uk/